News, commentary, and insights on adventures, and adventurers, from around the globe.

Monday, January 31, 2011

Atacama Extreme: Blisters Bring The Suffering

We're now a week into the Atacama Extreme, which is an expedition that has been undertaken by explorer Ray Zahab who is attempting to run the length of Chile's Atacama Desert, the driest place on the planet. So far, the pace has been exactly what he expected, as he has covered roughly 70km (43 miles) per day, but that hasn't come without a price. Ray has been suffering with a massive blister, which has rubbed his foot raw, and as a result, yesterday he was forced to take some time off to let it heal. This is, as you can imagine, a bit of a frustration for the man who has run across the Sahara, gone to the South Pole on foot, and traversed the length of Lake Baikal in the dead of winter.

The video below gives you an idea of what exactly Ray has been dealing with while he has run the past few days. Clearly the desert has taken its toll on his feet. Since our last update on the run, Ray has moved through a region that was full of deep gorges and has found his way out onto the salt flats that the Atacama is so well known for. He has also found a set of abandoned railroad tracks that have helped lead the way through some of the more remote areas, but despite that, the desert still presents a considerable challenge, although the expedition remains on track to finish up later this week.